The Rhythm's Gonna Get You

What is it about rhythms that make us want to dance? All I know is that when the songs comes on and the bass, drums and percussion kicks in, it causes involuntary convulsions and we feel the uncontrollable urge to move our bodies back and forth.  Sometimes without care of who is watching, judging, laughing or wishing they felt the same inhibitions as you.  You feel free!  My sister once told me that when she was in college she and her friends would go to the club and dance all night.  That's how they stayed so slim back then.  Tis true I presume, I too was a dancer and while mashin' up the dance floor all night brought me great pleasure (still does) I never really understood why I was intoxicated by music I couldn't always understand.  Maybe I should explain.  When I was 12 years old my sister and I worked together one summer at the Owl School summer camp.  We rode together every day in the infamous white Peugeot.  Every morning without fail, she would pop in a mixtape with music that I couldn't understand.  Every morning I would find myself being angry and telling her to turn that off!  Well one morning during my fit of anger I found myself moving my head from side to side and I was...humming the tune.  I still couldn't make out all the words but somehow that didn't matter to me anymore.  That was when I knew, the rhythms of this reggae music got me.  It was infectious and from that moment on, I have been in love with it.  I still don't understand it all, but that doesn't matter.  When I hear a those rhythms I can't help myself and if it's one of my favorite jams, I feel sorry for the dude that tries to dance with me!  But I digress!  Whether it's the rhythm or the vocals or the lyrics of a song that drives us to fall in love with it, we as artists strive to bring that same sense of euphoria to our own music.  We all want our listeners to feel that same sense of pleasure when they are enjoying our music.  We want to draw them in to our experience, to feel us. The more your audience feels you, the longer they stay with you.  They become your fans, your team and will support you as long as you keep making art they can feel.  Whatever it is that inspires you to keep striving for that moment in your music life that will catch your fans and draw them in to your experience, make sure it's true to who you are.  So if you only have one true fan, trust me that's all you need.  One person who will tell another person about you and your authenticity. The those two people tell another person and before you know it you fan base has grown tremendously. Not because you sound like their other favorite artist, but because of your artistry.  Be daring, be unafraid of what lies in your musical epicenter.  I can't wait to hear you.